Urban agriculture takes root in Montreal

Linked by Michael Levenston

Zeus Solis, of Crudessence, an urban-agriculture advocacy group, hunkers down in a garden on the Palais des congrès rooftop. A series of videos show off the range of fruits and vegetables being grown in the city.

Public hearings set for June to update city farming/gardening laws

By Monique Beaudin
Gazette Environment Reporter
April 3, 2012

Excerpt:

Montreal’s first citizen-driven public consultation has kicked off with a series of videos about urban agriculture that show the variety of fruits and vegetables that are already being grown in the city.

The 24 videos, which can be seen on the Office de consultation publique de Montréal’s website, show rooftop gardens, vegetables being grown in buckets, backyard plots, gardens on school grounds and a backyard chicken coop.

The OCPM posted the videos in preparation for public hearings into urban agriculture, which are scheduled for June 11 to 14.

The agency is also organizing an urban agriculture expo on May 12, and a daylong conference at the Palais des congrès on May 17.

The city of Montreal okayed the hearings after more than 29,000 people signed a petition last summer asking for public consultations on urban agriculture.

Several groups working on urban agriculture projects said the city’s bylaws on farming and gardening within city limits are out of date – for example, people are not allowed to have chickens, although there are chickens living in Montreal already.

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